


Guarding the Lion

by WolfyWordWeaver



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Age Difference, Dysfunctional Family, Family Drama, Fix-It, Incest, M/M, Marriage Contracts, Politics, Slurs, Smut, The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 08:34:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23348512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfyWordWeaver/pseuds/WolfyWordWeaver
Summary: When the Head of the Black Family Arcturus comes back to London to celebrate the graduation of his Heir he learns that things have definitely taken a turn for the worse since he left on a walkabout ten years ago. One Heir disowned and the next Heir promised to the service of a Dark Lord that he doesn't approve of...what's a wizard to do?
Relationships: Arcturus Black III/Regulus Black II
Comments: 13
Kudos: 65
Collections: Regulus Black Fest 2020





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger warnings: there will be explicit sexual content in the later chapters but no age play; depression; anxiety; mentioned suicide  
> No Underage: Regulus is 17, the wizarding age of consent

Arcturus Black III was born as the eldest son to Sirius Black II and his lovely wife Hesper on rainy August morning in the warm and inviting 12 Grimmauld Place. With a wet tuft of pitch black hair and scrunched up eyes, the young Heir squalled in indignation at being handled by the servants and denied the immediate pleasure of a good warm meal and snuggle. Upon having his son announced, Sirius Black jumped to his feet and enjoyed the compliments and congratulations of his mates and they split open a few bottles of elfin wine. The boy could be heard clear across the manor and Eowin Crabbe joked that the young child would not stand to be unheard.

It was an observation that proved to be true as Arcturus grew up. Very much imbued with the personality of a first born, he was always the one dragging Lycoris and Regulus off on grand adventures to fight the trolls or werewolves that were digging up their mother's flower beds. The house elves would nearly sob in horror at the mud and all manner of foliage that the rambunctious children would inevitably drag in and young Arcturus took quiet pride in the fact that it was his insistent flustering of poor Witcher that caused the house elf's heart to finally give out. He liked to wink at the embalmed head of the old house elf when he would tear down the hall past the gruesome display.

By the time he arrived at Hogwarts, Arcturus learned that it wasn't just his younger siblings who liked to listen and obey him. Joining the family ranks as a Slytherin, the young wizard spent his years not only developing his magical skills but also honing his interpersonal skills and building a solid network. Upon graduating, Artcurus took up work for the Ministry of Magic and continued to play the strings of political maneuvering. The Muggle War to End All Wars had ended and there was a lot of reconstruction to be done even in the wizarding world. It was an exhilarating time for the young Black Heir and one of his earliest crowning moments was successfully undermining his Uncle Phineas for supporting Muggle rights and destroying his social standing. He stood with honor before the family tapestry and blasted the man's face right off of it to the exaltation of his family.

With all his successes stacking, it hadn’t been a huge surprise for Sirius to request that Arcturus take his cousin Pollux under his wing. At the unfashionably young age of 15, Pollux had already gotten a young lady at Hogwarts up the duff and it was Arcturus' job to put together a quick wedding and help the young lady move into his uncle's home. She would proceed to birth their three children in the comforts of the estate before the last child would claim her life.

Arcturus took an immediate liking to his cousin and soon he, Pollux, and Regulus were going off on real werewolf hunts and attending Grindelwald rallies. There was a marriage to Melania Macmillan and two children between some of his best adventures. After a romantic affair that left Lycoris broken-hearted and swearing off marriage, the Black Heir returned home to stay for a while to care for her.

Years passed in the normal order of things. His wife ran the affairs of the home while he managed the affairs of the Black family and their interests in the Ministry. Arcturus would also continue exploring the globe with Regulus, Lycoris, and Pollux -- hunting for dragons, trolls, giants, werewolves; collecting magical artifacts to add to their family collection; and overall experiencing the best that all countries of the wizarding world could offer to the closest thing it had to royalty. Family members died, Dark Lords rose and were vanquished, politics morphed and changed, extramarital affairs were had, and for Arcturus the family was as secured as it could be. In fact, his own personal legacy will filling out quite nicely as a Merlin of Order was presented to him, the first that anyone in their family had ever attained.

Even though the world was seemingly churning with unrest, Arcturus felt that all was at peace within the Black household.

The first real fracture in that perfect image was the night he found his brother's body, lost to suicide.

\---+--- ---+--- ---+---

Family dinners with the Blacks had always been formal and strange affairs in Regulus' opinion. He sometimes wondered if that was because he was the baby of the family. Thankfully Sirius thought the gathers were strange too and he wasn't much older than Regulus. Both boys would sit back in wide-eyed wonder as they witnessed the sharp verbal barbs that the adults would flay each other with over antique glasses of imported wine. The trio of female cousins were another wonder that Regulus would stand back and watch for as long as he could before Sirius would drag him along to try any dare that Bella threw at him. A family dinner was where Regulus got his first broken bone - a compound fracture in his leg from jumping off a tree while Sirius tried to levitate him. Walburga had been livid and verbally lashed out into Cygnus out for raising such wild girls that would influence her darling boys so negatively. That speech didn't stop Bella from demonstrating new hexes to her cousins or Andromeda and Narcissa from forcing the boys into playing dress up with them.

Family dinners were a place to learn of the vast and dark history of the Blacks. While Sirius would roll his eyes anytime Grandfather Arcturus or Grandfather Pollux would start talking about the event of this or the event of that, Regulus would peek around his brother's shoulder and listen in. He liked hearing about the werewolf hunts or how the Purebloods dealt with the muggle wars, or stories of the time they met Grindelwald in person. Grandfather Arcturus had hosted the man a dinner party once and Grandmother Melania said it was the highlight of her life. Grandfather Pollux would always laugh as say that was because Arcturus was such a wretched man to be married to that dinner with a Dark Lord was preferable. Grandfather Arcturus never felt the need to defend himself to anyone, much less his cousin.

After Aunt Lucretia cut herself completely off from the family to embed herself with the almost blood-traitor Prewitts, Grandmother Melania stopped attending the family dinners. She was dead within a few months and it was the first funeral that Regulus remembered attending, having not been quite five years old when he was taken to the funeral of his grandfather's sister Lycoris.

Being such young children, he and Sirius had suffered through the overly laced dress robes and standing at attention for what seemed to be countless hours while all these adults stood around stone faced and looking miserable. While Sirius was more focused on trying to sneak a toad into the building so that he could stick it up Cissy's dress, Regulus found himself feeling very badly for his grandfather. The man stood alone, tall and regal, but with a deeper frown than usual. His grey eyes, the same shade as Sirius and Regulus,' studied the crowds of people but everyone seemed too scared to approach him.

Seeing his grandfather standing all alone in the crowd was the first time Regulus felt the overwhelming waves of grief and sadness. Grandmother had never seemed particularly close to Grandfather Arcturus, but it still must have been very lonely to have her buried away until the end of time. Something like losing a cat, he supposed. It was with large tears rolling down his cheeks and scuffs on his newly polished dress shoes that Regulus pulled away from his mother's skirts and raced into the solid and mountain-like strength of his grandfather's legs. He cried openly against the stiffly ironed trousers and set wrinkles into them with the grip of his still chubby fingers, but as soon as his Mother tried to chide him and pull him away the strangest thing happened.

Grandfather Arcturus picked him up.

It was one of the defining moments in the young Black's life. Being lifted up by a man that seemed larger than life itself, Regulus felt like he was soaring above everyone else. All the adults and children were staring at him in surprise, and it felt good to be noticed. Even Sirius was looking at him, his face screwed up in jealousy. Soon Regulus found himself held up at eye-level with his grandfather, the man staring so intently at him that he felt like he was having his whole short life examined. He had done nothing in his six years to live up to the life that his grandfather had, but whatever the man saw made his frown relax and turn into an expression that Regulus had never seen on the man's face before.

A smile.


	2. Chapter One

Regulus tried not to think about how different this summer was going to be as he walked up the steps to his home, trunk neatly stored away in his pocket with a shrinking charm. Mother was looking more pale than usual and she kept fretting over his robes and his hair as if they weren't up to the strict standards she expected of the Heir.

 _Sirius should be the one fending her hands off_.

Kreacher greeted them at the door and offered to take the trunk up to Regulus' room. He offered the house elf a secret smile as he knelt down to resize the trunk and hand it over. There was a new card game he had learned during the school year and he was eager to teach it to the wrinkled little thing. It would at least give him something to do other than stare at the wall and wallow in pain.

_Sirius should be here to take care of these things. He should have protected me._

Mother was trying to explain something to him, but he couldn't focus on the words. All he could do was stare at his feet and pull the green and silver tie from his neck before marching into the family library. He needed to...do something. Yes, doing something would be good and the room full of books was the perfect place for that. He could browse the titles for hours until dinner and then indulge in some pilfered mind-altering elixirs until he passed into the realms of dreams. In an unusual display of defiance, he ran his fingers through his hair and mussed it all up before the nails dug into the thin skin of his scalp until they drew blood. His forehead was pressed against a few of the musty old books and his eyes clenched shut as he tugged at his hair and forced the bloody furrows into his scalp. The pain was sharp and hot, different from the ever burning pain in his forearm.

Cold large hands grasped his wrists and Regulus gasped in surprise before wheeling around in a mixture of anger and fear. "I...I didn't know you were here."

Stern grey eyes looked down at him in disappointment and the teen felt his stomach drop. "Show me," the gravelly voice commanded.

Shaking loose curls out of his eyes, Regulus tilted his chin up in defiance. "Show you what, Grandfather? The N.E.W.T.S. aren't until next year."

"Show me the Mark, _boy_ ," he sneered and this time Regulus complied. That tone didn't leave any room for a surly teenager's rebellious attitudes. Forcing his hands to move steadily instead of trembling, Regulus rolled up the sleeve on his left arm and exposed the dark ink. It was a hideous design, and from the look on his grandfather's face Arcturus didn't think too highly of it either. "Why am I only hearing about this now?" he asked with more heat than Regulus had ever heard in his voice.

"I only t-took it a few months ago. It was my duty to." _Sirius should have stopped me._ "This cause is what's best for our family."

Arcturus snorted in derision. "What do you know of what's best for our family, little king? As Heir to the name do you think that suddenly you have more wisdom than a wizard who has actually lived through numerous wars and confrontations? A wizard who has watched that Dark Lord rise from the gutters of Dumbledore's sewage to what he is now?!" Those hands gripped him by the wrists again and shoved him angrily against the bookshelves, the impact rattling the boy's teeth. "You are but a speck in the lineage of the Blacks! You are to do nothing without my permission!"

Humiliation flooded through his veins as Regulus felt the tears rush to the surface again, always so quick to slip down his cheeks these days. There seemed to be no emotion that he could feel that wouldn't lead to the damnable tears and the anger and humiliation only served to fuel the ugly sobs even more. He hated being made a fool of, or being told he was wrong. He was intelligent, moreso than most other his age, and yet since Sirius decided to fuck everyone over and dump the family responsibility on him Regulus couldn't seem to think straight.

"I'm no fool and I'm no coward!" he shot back through the tears. "There's a war and I won't have our family labeled as cowards and blood-traitors!"

"Dark Lords come and go, Regulus! But our bloodline is not infinite and you're endangering centuries of knowledge and history and _purity_ for what?"

"For the betterment of the wizarding world, Grandfather! And for the honor of our family!" The shouted words were pierced with sobs and the teen was losing his composure under the stern glare of his patriarch.

"What good is honor to the family name if the name dies with you?!"

"It...I don't..."

Regulus' head hung in shame and weariness. He was just trying to do his best, but nothing seemed to be the right thing. All he could do was cry, a thing that _did_ shame his family. The Blacks did not let others know what they thought or how they felt, but Regulus was even worse at doing exactly that than Sirius was. Hands that had squeezed his wrists with enough force to leave bruises slowly released their grip and those fingers moved to cup his face, and thumbs hardened by the long years of exploration and rough living brushed away the tears.

"You are the future of our family, Regulus," the deep voice rumbled. "I will not let you die for the whims of a madman."

Grey eyes met grey and for the first time in over a decade Regulus felt an overwhelming sense of calmness wash over him. Grandfather Arcturus knew what to do. No one scared him - he was a very powerful wizard.

"What are we going to do, Grandfather Arcturus?"

"I'm going to call a family meeting," he replied sternly. "But first, you and I need to have a conversation with your parents."

Relief raced through Regulus and he felt as if he was finally settling onto solid ground.

\---+--- ---+--- ---+---

The relief hadn't lasted long.

Standing in the kitchen, Regulus did not make eye contact with Kreacher as he forced down another few gulps of the acidic wine. His hands were trembling and his head was swimming. All of the Blacks had been drinking since they were babies so while swallowing down the wine in hurried gulps wouldn't normally be enough to make him buzzed, the combination of little sleep, no food that day, and a high level of stress was wreaking havoc on his tolerance. The ancient house elf was wringing his hands as he muttered to himself but Regulus couldn't be bothered to comfort the thing right now. He heard the door to the kitchen open behind him and he tipped his head back to finish the remnants of liquid courage.

"How are you doing?" came the oddly rasping voice of someone he barely recognized anymore.

"I am well, Grandfather Pollux. Would you like a glass?" Regulus was glad that his voice was so steady because his hands were still trembling.

"Let's bring out the good stuff if we're going to be drinking our sorrows away."

"Of course."

Regulus took a stumbling step back and allowed his grandfather past him and into the cellar. He poked about for a minute before coming out with a vintage 1813 that the teenager was sure he would be murdered for drinking if they hadn't just been talking about the horrific lengths they were going to go through to keep him safe and alive. Grandfather Pollux was frustratingly still taller than Regulus was, and since he didn't want to put a crick in his neck to look up at the man he just stared at the slender but knobby fingers as the older man broke the seal and magically popped the cork. He filled both glasses to the rim and then set the bottle down to rest on the counter. They both took several long pulls before his grandfather spoke up again.

"It's not exactly a conventional way of dealing with the Heir of a family, is it?"

Candlelight glittered seductively from the surface of the purple liquid.

"I don't suppose so, Grandfather."

Dark eyes stared down at the boy who was so desperately trying to keep his feelings hidden away.

"You can tell me the truth, Regulus. It's not like you're very good at hiding it."

He sniffed and wiped at his nose with his sleeve before taking another few gulps.

"What do you think, Grandfather Pollux?"

While Regulus was pants at hiding his emotional state, he was a good wordsmith and fearless in obfuscating. The old wizard smiled into his glass and took a deep gulp before responding.

"I think that my children and my nephew have been fools. And if there was any way of convincing your brother to come back things might have a chance of working out differently."

"He's not going to come back," Regulus sighed.

"I was afraid of that," Pollux grumbled. "He's a right stubborn bastard. Just like you mother." Regulus didn't want to think about his mother and her part in this mess or even Sirius.

"I just want to wake up and for this to have never happened."

Stroking his neatly trimmed beard, Pollux sighed.

"Well, you don't have many options at this point. Being a Black isn't always the easiest thing to do, but any discomfort is worth keeping the bloodline alive. We're better than everyone else, Regulus."

The glass in Regulus' hand shattered spilling the priceless wine and adding a few deep cuts into his palm. His breaths were deep and nearing the hysterical.

"How can anyone think of me as better if I go through with this?!"

Pollux stared at the shaking boy with cool eyes.

"Toujours Pur."

The words struck Regulus to the core and he felt the cold boulder of dread and resignation. The Blacks were better because of their blood and they needed to do whatever it took to keep that blood pure.

"Toujours Pur," he reiterated with a shaky voice, the alcohol burning in his cuts. "Always pure. I understand, Grandfather."

The older wizard smiled as kindly as he could and held out the bottle which Regulus accepted eagerly before drinking straight from it.

\---+--- ---+--- ---+---

Regulus was a beautiful boy; Arcturus would not deny that. He was a result of the best breeding of wizarding kind, after all. Sleeping, he looked even younger than he did when the worry lines etching into his face aged him. He didn't look exactly the same as his namesake, but there were enough similarities that if he closed his eyes Arcturus could imagine that his brother was just resting after one of their adventures.

But he couldn't imagine _that_ Regulus, not when he felt a stirring in his stomach that he hadn't felt in years. It was probably true that he was past his prime of life, but even the age of 80 years wasn't considered terribly old for Pureblood wizards.

Sighing quietly, he rubbed at his temples. This was not the route he would have chosen to take if the situation wasn't so dire. He hadn't known that Voldemort had gotten so much support in recent years and was still trying to understand why so many Purebloods had chosen to side with him, but that didn't really matter except that his whole family was in danger of being destroyed. It was a destruction that had started from within, and Arcturus was berating himself for so easily convincing himself that the family would work out their differences without his interference. He let himself get so caught up in the grief of losing his brother and then sister and then wife - so much grieving in such a relatively short period of time. He was the longest living Black in a century and he had let it bring him down.

"Look what I've done," he whispered, eyes still looking over the silent figure. "Now you need to be strong too."

He looked down at his clasped hands and tried to remind himself that this Regulus could be strong. He could overcome his demons and live. This Regulus could _live_ because Arcturus was here for him now.

"Grandfather?" a soft voice murmured.

He looked up and offered a sad smile. "Yes, my little king?"

Red-rimmed eyes stared blearily at him for a few moments. "Was it a dream?"

"No," he responded curtly even though he wasn't angry at the boy.

"Oh." Regulus blinked slowly for a few more moments before speaking up again. "When will the ritual be performed?"

"Tonight after the family dinner." He watched the boy's face and decided that he needed to offer some comfort. "I would not have done things this way under different circumstances, little king. I will be commanding the entire family to withdraw support of this Dark Lord and we will work together to remove him from the equation, but you will be under my protection until that comes to pass."

"If I...how am I expected to bear an heir for the family if I am married to you, Grandfather?"

"I think that it is safe to say that you won't," Arcturus chuckled softly. "I don't imagine that I will have too much longer to live and when I am dead you will be free to marry a proper Pureblood witch to carry on our bloodline."

Regulus looked towards the ceiling of his room with moist eyes. "W-will we have to consummate it?"

"Yes, of course. That's part of the binding magic." Rubbing calloused hands over his face, Arcturus tried to think of the best way to handle this. He had already had his fair share of shagging men, women, and even dark creatures so he wasn't intimidated by such a trivial thing. But he tried to understand how it was different for his grandson. He'd been gone for so long that he didn't even know what the boy liked anymore or what his personality was beyond all the tears. "I have experiences with both sexes," he decided to explain carefully. "You will not be hurt. I will take care of you."

"Can you just...can I take a love potion?" He still stared at the ceiling, refusing to look at his grandfather.

"No enchantments. At least for the first time as it will be a portion of the magically binding spell."

Now the boy swallowed thickly. "Then there will be more than one time?"

Arcturus knew that this was a tricky thing to work through. He would not deny to himself that the boy was attractive and that he was still a virile man who had desires. It wouldn't be the first time he had extramarital affairs if he wanted to go that route, but there would be the particulars of the spell that were going to use.

"The binding spells we will be using is a combination of marriage bonding and a variance of a pederasty bonding. It will not allow for either of us to find pleasure outside of our bonds as that was a protective measure used to keep a wizard from neglecting his charge. Not that I have any intention of neglecting or otherwise abusing you."

The young man took a deep breath and kept his eyes firmly set on the enchantment of the night sky that had been placed there after he had been born. "Would it be disrespectful for me to admit that I'm scared?"

"No," Arcturus responded as softly as he could. "I don't know how your parents have been rearing you, but from what I've seen since my return I am entirely unimpressed. You are completely unprepared to be an Heir and seemingly not even well prepared for any Black duties." Regulus deflated visibly and he rushed to clarify. "Little king, do not mistake this as my saying that I am disappointed in _you_. I don't know you well but I can already safely say that I am not disappointed in you. I am grievously disappointed in my son and the other adults who were in charge of the House of Black while I was gone." The man's voice was a growl now. "Things will be different now that I am here."

Those silver eyes that were so unusual even in their family finally turned towards him. "Thank you, Grandfather Arcturus."

Arcturus extended his hand to the teen and was relieved when the boy reached out to accept his hand. "As of now, little king, you will address me as Lord Black or Arcturus. Trust me and I will make sure that you are taken care of."

Regulus visibly steeled himself and stared straight into his grandfather's eyes. "Yes, Lord Black."


	3. Chapter Two

Walburga and Orion were silent as the three of them walked up the path to Black Manor and Regulus wondered what they were really thinking. He had remembered foolishly feeling so proud of passing his Apparation test on the first try, but his parents hadn't even seemed to notice that he didn't need to side-along with either of them tonight. Granted, dealing with the wrath of Arcturus was probably a bit more pressing on their minds than their son performing some common magic. They could have at least had the decency to say something encouraging about his upcoming nuptials or maybe even apologized for their part in this entire mess, but no, Walburga and Orion said nothing.

Tugging nervously at his neatly done silk imperial tie, Regulus tried not to think too much on what would happen later that evening but it was almost impossible considering everything he had to do to prepare the ceremony. Kreacher had actually cried when he helped Regulus pack all of his belongings for the move to Black Manor. Once the packing was finished, he took care to bathe and cleanse himself with the required potions and soaps. He wasn't sure what the ritualistic significance of everything was as Walburga had just set them on the bathroom counter and left but he assumed there were herbs in the different potions that were supposed to offer good luck for fertility, wealth, and happiness. Typical for marital rituals.

His hair had a woodsy scent that was different from his usual spice-ladened toiletries and the strange smell kept catching Regulus unawares and then reminding him of the evening's ceremony. Would the whole family have to be present for the binding ceremony? Who would perform the spells? Dear Salazar, were there going to have to be _witnesses_ to the consummation? He felt bile rise the back of his throat and hastily took several more calming breaths. He could still technically back out of the arrangement but Regulus knew that any alternatives probably wouldn't be much better. Voldemort would naturally come after him to strike the most painful blow to the Black family and he needed all the protection that he could get.

A traitorous thought of wishing that his brother was here tonight crept up and he shook his head angrily. Things would be 100% different if Sirius was still here. There would be no need for this marriage and Regulus might not have even gotten the Dark Mark. The yearning to have his brother nearby twisted into resentment. Stupid Sirius, never caring about anything or anyone outside of himself.

Coming to a pause in front of the ancient hand-carved African blackwood doors, Orion held out his wand and traced out the required runes before reaching out to prick his finger against the enchanted fang of the sculpted basilisk head. With his blood confirmed and the security measures passed, the doors swung open slowly and allowed the three Blacks into the manor. A house elf greeted them in the foyer and took their dress cloaks before another house elf arrived and escorted them to the lavish dining room.

Regulus' steps stuttered a little as they drew near the room, thinking that in a few short hours this entire manor would technically belong to him as well. These nervous house elves casting him furtive glances would be his. The rolling hills and ancient twisted trees on the acres surrounding the manor would be his as well. Even Grimmauld Place and all the other castles and manors would belong to him.

He noticed Orion's dark eyes shooting back to glance at him before staring resolutely forward. An ache stabbed into his chest and Regulus was certain that his father was disgusted with him. Intermarrying in the family obviously wasn't the issue, so it was probably disgust that his son would be the submissive partner in a homosexual relationship. A gay union was bad enough but it could sometimes be overlooked if it was discreet. There was nothing discrete about this situation.

Regulus grit his teeth. Getting married to his grandfather was preferable to death. If he repeated it enough, maybe the nerves would settle.

Stepping into the room Orion moved towards his usual spot at the right hand of Arcturus, Walburga to the left and Regulus on the right hand of Orion. Arcturus and Pollux were already seated, one at each end of the massive table that was enchanted to adjust to the number of company expected. Before the others could sit, Arcturus raised a hand and the three froze.

"Regulus, sit here," he commanded, indicating the right hand seat. "Orion, to my left and Walburga next to him."

They all moved to obey immediately, but Regulus noted the blood draining from his parents' faces. This was the first time they would be sitting side by side at a family meal and it meant things were definitely going to be changing. Regulus was sure that the rest of the family had no idea of what they were going to be walking into.

Sure enough, as soon as Cygnus and Druella stepped into the dining room their smug expressions floundered a bit. Pollux greeted them as warmly as he ever greeted his children, but they were already on alert. Both took their seats on either side of Pollux and almost as quickly as they sat down there were more voices and the other two families stepped in. Bellatrix and Rodolphus sat beside Cygnus and Narcissa and Lucius took their place between Druella and Regulus. Lucius rose a questioning eyebrow as he took his seat next to the teen but he said nothing.

Arcturus steepled his fingers and seemed to wait a few more moments before remembering that there was no one else coming. Andromeda and Sirius would not be joining them tonight.

With a wave of his hand, the food began to appear on the plates and the conversations started tentatively. Druella was asking Bellatrix about some of her newer gowns and how the styles these days were so different from when she was growing up. Pollux asked Regulus about his O.W.L.S. and was careful to avoid mentioning Sirius.

The appetizers were completed before the barbs started, albeit more mildly than usual. Walburga was asking the girls about when they were planning to have children and Regulus could see the clouded rage on Bellatrix's face and the agony that flashed only for a moment on Narcissa's face. The thinly veiled insults and jabs continued while Regulus mostly just minded his food as he had as a child. Even though he was of age now, his training to be seen and not heard was still firmly in place and he kept quiet. The feeling of a hand settling against his thigh nearly made him choke on the braised duck, but he said nothing and was thankful that it only squeezed comfortingly before disappearing.

The banter and cutting remarks continued all through the dinner and into the dessert. When the meal wrapped up, Arcturus raised his hand for silence.

"Let us all move to the sitting room," he commanded with his deep voice. "There are things we need to speak of. Rodolphus and Lucius will join us."

There was no room for arguing in his command and everyone stood to comply. Even Pollux moved quickly and quietly towards the sitting room, his face never betraying that he knew what was about to happen. It wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation for anyone, but he had thankfully been given enough time to prepare himself for what he was about to see.

It wasn't that Pollux disagreed with Arcturus; on the contrary he thought that his cousin was intelligent and completely capable of coming to the best decision about any given circumstances. The mess that the Black family was currently in was probably the worst situation it had faced since the persecutions of the Middle Ages nearly wiped them out and he just hoped that this wasn't too little too late.

When they were all seated, Arcturus walked over in front of the roaring fireplace and stood to stare for a moment at the tapestry of the family crest. It was a beautiful crest with the three black ravens and the wand hand poised for casting. Regulus had never really thought much on the fact that the majority of families in the world didn't have a family crest or a history like the Blacks did. Tonight he wondered at it and wondered how things would have been different if he had been born outside of wizarding royalty. Again, he schooled himself into passivity and just watched his grandfather.

"The Head of the Family has important matters to discuss," Pollux announced with his raspy voice. He made sure to allow his tone to inform all parties that this was not going to be a pleasant conversation.

"Important matters indeed," Arcturus growled as he turned to face all of them. Regulus felt like a child again who was about to be disciplined and from the looks on the face of the others he was in good company. "I've been gone for about ten years now and have come home as planned with the intention of hosting a lavish party to celebrate the graduation of my Heir. To my utter surprise, I come back to my most noble home to find out that not only do I not have Sirius Orion Black as my Heir, but that the Heir I do have left has been branded with the mark of a Dark Lord and set into his ranks as a disposable common foot soldier."

"The Death Eaters are the highest ranked followers of the Dark Lord," Bella tried to explain but a sharp look from her grandfather shut her up immediately.

"My Heir has been _sworn_ to another wizard, to another family," he hissed with grey eyes blazing. "The boy isn't even out of Hogwarts yet and he's involved in a war?! And don't get me started on the fact that I've lost a perfectly healthy and talented boy from the family! We are not in a position of having an overabundance of males in the bloodline and we have had one lost to us while he yet lives?!"

All of the members were already starting to tremble. Even Rodolphus and Lucius were looking concerned.

"He refused to stay within the values of the family!' Walburga insisted, the fear in her voice not quite overcoming the self-righteousness. "Sirius was impudent and refused his position as Heir to the family."

"He was a headstrong boy who needed to be guided!" Arcturus shouted angrily. "There were plenty of Blacks who were like that, and yet most of them stayed in line. How is it that we've lost three names on the family tapestry to disownment in the matter of _ten_ years? What exactly has been going on in my absence?!" He wheeled around to focus his rage on Orion. "You, son of my loins, were the acting head of this family while I was away. What do you have to say for this current state of affairs?"

Orion looked like he had swallowed the giant squid from the Black Lake in one gulp. "F-father, this...the boys have been-"

"Enough," Arcturus snapped. "From this moment I strike you from the Headship of the family." Orion and Walburga made a choking sound of horror while Regulus could see the surprised but hopeful expression on Cygnus' face. Druella just looked ready to vomit on the plush carpet. "You will inherit _nothing_ from me when I pass beyond the veil." He immediately turned on Cygnus. "As for you, Cygnus, I have only to look at your daughters to decide that you will inherit nothing from me either."

"Uncle!" the man cried in dismay.

"Silence! One daughter has fallen away to marry a mudblood and the other two are also involved in this mess of a war! They married into pruned off branches of the Black family but have done nothing to strengthen their loyalties to either family! They are whores for this wizard Voldemort! And look!" he jabbed a finger towards Regulus. "They are elder cousins and look at the examples they have set for my Heir. My bloodline depends on this child producing a son and he is thrust into the front lines of war?! What the bloody hell were any of you thinking?!"

The nearly 80 year old man glared around at all present and took in their varying degrees of fear and shame. Rodolphus and Lucius were at least smart enough to not voice any disagreement over being considered pruned off branches of the Black family tree. Pollux lifted his hand and Arcturus nodded to allow him to speak.

"What would you have us do, Lord Black?" he asked even though he had already been privy to the conversation that decided the path they would be taking.

Arcturus took a deep breath. "The Ancient and Most Noble House of Black will not play the needy harlot to some half-blooded wizard who had to hide his birth name in order to gain any followings with the Purebloods. As of this evening, this family will be working towards removing this Dark Lord from his position of power." All of the adults paled but no one dared to speak a word against the Head of the Family. "You are all Slytherins and we exceed at cunning and craftiness. Get to work and end this war. We do not have nearly as many friendly faces in the Ministry of Magic as we ought to have and that needs to change as well. The Lestrange and Malfoy Houses are to comply."

He paused and stared between the two young men. They looked at each other with alarm on their faces, but neither of them had the testicular fortitude to try to go up against the man.

"As you wish, Lord Black," Lucius agreed quickly.

"Yes, we will comply with this request," Rodolphus added although he knew well that this was anything but a request.

"I am aware that this will take some time and I would not want to rush events as we need to lay the groundwork for having more allies in positions of power when this war draws to an end. Now, the Lords Malfoy and Lestrange need to go wait in the foyer as I address Black family business."

House elves escorted the perplexed men out and Arcturus waved his wand to cast the silencing spells that would be needed to keep the next conversation completely within the blood family. After all the harsh words that he had already leveled towards most members of the family, it was understandable to see almost all of the family looking terrified and sick. Arcturus really did know how to throw people off balance and manipulate events as he deemed necessary.

Regulus thought that perhaps Orion and Walburga looked a bit more unsettled than the rest because they _did_ know what was going to be discussed next. He wasn't sure how the rest of the family would be taking the marriage, and Regulus could barely admit to himself that he was scared of their scorn. The Black woman were notorious for dishing out emotional and verbal abuse even towards their own family and he had never had thick skin.

"What do you need of us, Grandfather?" Bellatrix asked with a surprisingly steady voice. She was the oldest grandchild and Regulus had always admired her fearlessness.

"I will be requiring Unbreakable Vows from all of you," he demanded and Regulus was amazed to see the family members getting even more pale. "What I say in this room cannot be revealed to anyone else unless by my explicit commands. Is that understood?"

"Yes," came the immediate and resounding response from all members.

What could the Head of the Family have to share that was of even more secrecy than his plans to overthrow the Dark Lord Voldemort?


	4. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things start warming up in this chapter.

Certain of their obedience, Arcturus nodded and leveled a stare at all of them.

"Family, the disappointment that I have towards nearly all of you cannot be overstated and this situation that I have found us all in has led to this hasty but well-considered move. I refuse to have my Heir promised to another wizard especially in a position that puts him at risk of getting killed. The magic in the Dark Mark that adorns his arm is a newer blend of magics and it is not something that can be easily broken. It is because of this that I will be invoking the powers of ancient bonding magic to break it and tie him into the safety of our family."

The older wizard took a deep breath before allowing himself a heavy and grieved sigh.

"Tonight Regulus and I will be taking the marital binding spells which will make him only loyal and bonded to me above all other vows and loyalties. I am assuming that this half-blooded wizard will feel the break as soon as it happens, so I will be adding extra protective spells around which will necessitate Regulus living under the premise of his blood-family until he is 18 years old. That is less than a year away, so this wizard needs to be disposed of by then. The family wards and spells will keep him protected as my husband and Hogwarts will keep him protected when he is off at school. That old coot Dumbledore may be useless in a lot of ways, but the school he oversees is not."

Regulus stared at his knees, not wanting to see the expressions of the others. He already knew how his parents had taken the news and it didn't make him that eager to hear the opinions of others. He could practically hear the mocking tone that Bellatrix and Narcissa would use and the snide comments he would have to suffer from for the rest of their lives assuming that he outlived them. Not a guarantee at the moment.

"Is that the only real move that we can make?" Cissy asked in amazement.

Having been born a female, she had the unfortunate life experience of having her value since puberty rely mostly on who she could marry and what allegiance she could forge with that marriage and yet even she had never considered the possibility of marrying her grandfather. Regulus wondered if he would have been so shocked if he had a lifetime to prepare for being married off for the sake of the family's benefit.

"Yes, especially with the time constraint we have. Waiting any longer would potentially put Regulus into a position where he would have to risk his life and I am unwilling to allow that to happen. Everyone else is expendable at this point as our family name would end with him." Everyone was quiet as they took in the news and after a few seconds Regulus felt a large and firm hand on his shoulder. "We will take the vows now in the presence of the family and then I will ask for all of you to return to your homes and prepare however you must for the results of this action. Our family will be waging war."

"We are the Blacks and far better than everyone else," Orion stated softly but firmly.

"We should bow to no one else," Walburga added tiredly. She was looking like she had aged several years already.

"Does everyone understand the gravity of this situation and what I require of each of you? There will be no sharing of this secret with the extended family or even friends that you have trusted with your whole life. It is for blood only."

"Toujours Pur," Pollux called out firmly and as it had with Regulus the words seemed to shake some stability and warmth into the bodies of the stunned Blacks.

"Toujours Pur," Bella called out firmly before she was followed by Cissy and Uncle Cygnus.

One by one they recited the family motto until it came to Regulus. He took a quick breath and looked up at the rest of the family that would be his to care for as soon as his grandfather died. He didn't have forever to figure things out.

"Toujours Pur," he recited and steeled his spine yet again. It was time.

The marriage ceremony was nothing like he had come to expect his would be, especially after being declared Heir of the family. There was no grandeur and large crowds filled mostly with people he didn't really know or liked. No nosy reporters wanting to know useless details. There was also no bride. Swallowing thickly as he took his grandfather's hand, Regulus steadied his heart.

Consent was a requirement for these vows to work and as much as he had time to work through his feelings through the day he still needed to mentally check in. There was no guarantee as to how long his grandfather would live and this was a vow that could not be broken by anything but death. A vow this strong was necessary to break the grip that Voldemort had on him. Looking up into the steel grey eyes of the taller man Regulus knew that he had to do this. He had to live and he had to learn. Arcturus was mostly a mystery to him, childhood memories of the man hazy and full of hero worship, but this man had already shown a great deal of care and concern for him. And if he was someone who could so easily command the most frightening people Regulus knew of, then he could be assured that he would be safe.

Walburga and Orion could no longer order him about or smother him with their expectations. Cygnus could no longer hope and wish for ill to befall him so that the line of Headship would fall to him next.

A strange feeling swelled in his chest as he listened to Arcturus swear protection and loyalty to him and it took Regulus a moment to realize that he was feeling an embarrassed affection. No one had bothered to speak such words of care to him since he and Sirius stopped talking. He had always taken Sirius' love and affection for granted until it was gone and since then he had thirsted quietly for it in the desert of his family's emotional state. Orion waved his wand over the two taking the vows and a golden strand wrapped around their arms, similar to the one that would take place during an unbreakable vow. The strand would break if Regulus could not or would not take his vows and the words stuck in his throat for just a second.

Toujours Pur.

With the vows exchanged and Orion's magic helping them to bind, Arcturus sliced his palm open and smeared the blood over Regulus' face, a finger softly stroking over his bottom lip. Regulus felt the blush rise to his cheeks but didn't acknowledge the intimate gesture otherwise. Slicing his own hand with his wand, Regulus reached out and they entwined their fingers and brought the bleeding palms together. There was very little that could break a blood bond.

"There is only one portion left to complete these bonds," Orion stated tiredly as he tucked his wand away.

Arcturus released his grip on Regulus and turned to the rest of them. "Let's complete the unbreakable vows for everyone right now and then I will need Orion and Walburga to stay behind for a while longer."

No one argued and all the family members took their vows quickly. They all swore secrecy over the wedding vows and also took vows to help the family overthrow Voldemort so that they might be able to better secure their family’s position in the wizarding world. As soon as those vows were completed everyone took their leave. Cissy threw a sympathetic look to Regulus before she disappeared from the room.

"What do you need of us, Father?" Orion asked, both him and Walburga looking shell shocked and apprehensive. Regulus hoped that Arcturus wasn't about to ask them to witness the consummation because he wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to look his parents in the eye ever again if that was the case.

Arcturus set a protective hand over Regulus' shoulder before speaking. "I haven't had a lot of time to examine the spellwork that has gone into the making of the Dark Mark, but I am concerned about the repercussions of severing that bond. This Voldemort is a half-blood who is creating his own dark spells and potions so I don' think that I'm being too careful in assuming that there will be a rebound of some kind after the connection is severed. I need you both on hand to help with the rebound if it is as violent as I'm assuming it will be."

He pointed towards a table that had several tomes on it.

"I'm familiar with those books," Walburga noted. "Shall I also prepare a couple of cauldrons and supplies?"

"Yes, that would be wise."

"I'll go through the books and prepare for some of the spells," Orion added.

With them all in agreement, Regulus glanced at his feet and marched towards the stairs with Arcturus. There were no well-wishes or bawdy jokes that people like his classmates would have indulge in at this moment - just the sound of footsteps. He tried not to think too hard about what his parents thought of the whole situation or if they would be talking about him while they prepared for any number of dark magic repercussions. The Dark Mark was already itching something fierce deep inside his arm but Regulus refused to indulge the sensation with a proper scratch. He suspected that it wouldn't help anyway.

"We will be in this room," Arcturus stated softly. "It's not the master suite of the manor, but I figured that neutral ground would make you feel more comfortable."

Having only gone as far as snogging a few girls and a couple of boys, Regulus wasn't sure that anything would make him feel comfortable at this point. "Thank you, Lord Black."

Once they stepped inside the room, Regulus did feel a tiny bit of calming energy. The house elves had moved his belongings into this room, although they had respected his privacy and not unpacked anything. The room was quite plain considering the usual gaudy family decor and the four poster bed was decorated with sheer curtains and plain sheets, thankfully not silk.

"Is this an acceptable accommodation?"

Regulus furrowed his eyebrows and looked up at the taller man. The silver hair at his temples was shimmering in the candlelight. "Did you show this much concern for Melania when you married her?"

It wasn't that he was bothered by the concern for his comforts so much as the implication that he was too weak and tender to be considered at the same level as a woman would be. It would be an even worse humiliation.

Arcturus gave him a wry smile. "Little king, I didn't much care for anyone besides myself at that age. One would hope to learn and improve as they grow older."

"Are you...are you just trying to be kind because you think I'm weak?"

This made the man frown and Regulus tried not to be nervous as he took his time in answering. However, it was encouraging that he was actually giving this thought instead of just rushing forward with a dishonest answer.

"Regulus," he started, shocking the teen as his grandfather had never addressed him by his actual name before, "this marriage is entirely because of my care and concern for you, as my Heir _and_ as a young man. It would be foolish to care enough about you to take marriage vows and then care nothing for your comforts in other aspects of the marriage. Again, I should hope that my age has given me a better handle of the tending and care of my partners."

The words drew a blush to the young man's face. It would be a lie to deny that he had been certain that this situation entirely revolved around the fact that he was the last chance for the Black name to continue forth. Would Arcturus have done the same if it had been Sirius in his place?

A twinge of jealousy clutched at his gut just imagining standing there to watch the marriage vows between Arcturus and Sirius, and he tried to school his mind away from such things. Jealousy was unbecoming and indicative of a level of emotion and attachment that they really weren't engaging in...were they? His head was already hurting with trying to figure out where they exactly stood with each other.

"The accommodations are sufficient for the rest of this bonding," Regulus finally muttered stiffly. "I'm...I'm not exactly sure how we're supposed to do this." The blush burned on his face hotly but he forced himself to speak without another stutter. "I understand the basics, but how do you want me to receive you for this? Should I just get on my hands and knees?"

He didn't exactly want to explain that his only knowledge of gay sex was because of late night conversations with Rabastan and the fact that they had been considering experimenting with each other. Perhaps he should be grateful that his first experience would actually be with an experienced partner rather than the fumbling first time of someone else. The teen was so focused on his internal monologue that he didn't notice the unhappy frown pulling at Arcturus' lips.

"Little King," he responded sternly, "look at me." When the wide grey eyes snapped to attention he continued. "I understand if you are hesitant to accept that this can be a mutually agreeable arrangement but I will not accept your willfully refusing to understand my intentions."

Arcturus swallowed down all of his instincts to just get on with things and keep his thoughts to himself. Telling anyone what was in his heart was opening himself to be vulnerable and this Lord Black had spent decades avoiding vulnerability. Unfortunately, the moment he came to the decision of what he was willing to do to protect this boy he had also decided that he had to do whatever was best for Regulus' growth. This tender creature would completely shatter if he did not tread with care and part of this delicacy included actually exposing himself.

"I'm not trying-"

"Listen to what I have to say," the elder Black interrupted brusquely and Regulus' mouth snapped shut. "Even if the situation was different, such as if your brother was Heir and your parents hadn't handled the affairs of this family so abysmally, it's entirely possible that I would still have pursued you for a relationship." Lord Black had a lot of experience keeping his poker face up but he still internally winced at his face's desire to burn with embarrassment. "There are plenty of qualities that you have that are attractive to me and a relationship such as the one between us is not unheard of among families of our kind of blood. The difference would have been that I would have had the option to properly court you and offer you a longer period of time to consider how suitable a bond between us would be. But just because I could not court you appropriately before our marriage vows doesn't mean that I intend to treat you as a slab of meat for my carnal enjoyment in between my efforts to keep you alive!"

He was getting heated now, angry that this young man was standing there terrified and ready to present himself for virtual rape because of what boiled down to his parents' failure to rear him properly and protect him.

Regulus tried to wrap his mind around the words being spoken. Arcturus would have courted him formally in different circumstances? Arcturus... _liked_ him? Having never even had a proper dating relationship, Regulus couldn't begin to imagine how he would have felt in that situation but it didn't really matter. What mattered was that he was standing in a bedroom with his husband and a marriage bond to consummate. A husband who was sort of telling him that there were deeper feelings involved than had been implicated to the others.

Not really knowing what to do with the information or the fact that Arcturus was upset, Regulus found himself falling back to a little trick he had seen Sirius' boyfriend use to either shut his ranting brother up or cheer him up with a 100% success rate. Right or wrong, he bit his lip in what he hoped was an attractive manner before leaning forward and up on his toes to brush his lips against the taller man's. Regulus would rather die than admit to anyone that he took any kind of notice of those two fools during their school years together, especially if it had to do with their romantic interactions, but it had been hard to ignore anything that could always keep Sirius in check and smiling. None of Walburga or Orion's efforts had come close to a success rate like that.

It had been a clumsy and forward move on his part, especially as Arcturus was tall enough to have to lean down towards him for a proper snog, but before Regulus could worry too much about his action he found himself being smothered in a commanding kiss. He couldn't help but gasp in surprise at the intensity, his previous experiences leaving much to be desired in comparison.

There was no hesitation or insecurity from the man pressed against him and Regulus felt his head spinning and his heart pounding so violently that he was sure Arcturus could feel its frantic pace up against his rib cage. His hands dug into Arcturus' hips as he struggled to remember where hands were supposed to go or what they were supposed to do before he felt a slight buckle in his knees when fingers took a handful of his hair and gave a firm tug to tilt his head back a little further. An arm wrapped around his waist to steady him as the lips and tongue plundered Regulus' mouth with a practiced ease.

Anger had quickly given way to surprise in Arcturus at Regulus' sudden move, but he had been quick to reciprocate. It was the first gesture initiated by the teen and he wanted to reward the effort. The taste of his dried blood on those lips had been quickly swallowed down until he could only taste the unique elixir that was Regulus. The little shudders and hot pants for breath the younger Black issued between the open-mouthed kisses were going straight to his cock, but he knew that he couldn't rush things. He couldn't drag the pleasure out as long as he normally would with a new lover because of the probable magical backlash the Dark Mark would release after they finalized the marriage bond and the help he would require of Orion and Walburga at that point, but he was determined not to rush things to the point of hurting his husband.

He maneuvered them over by the bed but decided against just tossing the young man on there and continuing his ministrations. The boy had all but admitted to being a virgin and he got the impression that maybe Regulus hadn't even gone further than a kiss. With as anxious as he had been the entire time Arcturus had seen him since getting back home, the man was a bit concerned about having Regulus shut down from overstimulation. He didn't have much time to hold off on fulfilling the consummation. Pulling away from those delicious lips, he moved his hands from their tangled position in Regulus' hair and stroked the high cheekbone, smudging at some of the dried blood from the ceremony.

"I need you to trust me," he stated, surprised by his own breathless voice. "I'm going to pleasure you, but it'll only work if you trust me and accept the pleasure."

Salazar, he _wanted_ to pleasure this boy and see him completely unravel.

Those eyes were wide again and the swollen lips trembled for a moment before forming a response. "I trust you," he whispered.

He pressed a chaste kiss to the boy's lips before guiding him to turn around so that the older Black was pressed up against his back and peppering kisses against the nape of his neck and at the skin exposed above the stiff collar of his formal robes. "We're going to undress down to our pants," he murmured against the skin. "I won't do anything without letting you know ahead of time. Is it okay for my hands to run over your skin?"

"Y-yeah," Regulus whispered in reply, so embarrassed that he wasn't sure he was going to be able to go all the way.

Why wouldn't Arcturus just hurry things up and get it over with? Logically the young man could understand that if they rushed things he could get hurt and Arcturus had already expressed his desire to show Regulus pleasures, but the fear and anxiety mixed with the overwhelming stimulation was turning his brain to mush.

He was actually considering the pain of a rushed copulation to be preferable to this gut-clenching anticipation. Their clothing wasn't magicked off and rushed either, the steady and calm pace of his husband grating against his raw nerves. Surprisingly calloused fingers danced over his skin as it was slowly exposed, trailing heat and goosebumps while kisses were pressed in a meandering path down his neck and shoulders as the buttons were undone and the silken tie slipped off. The cuffs of his sleeves were maddeningly slow to be undone before confident fingers slid against the cloth over his thighs before bunching the material up with each motion until the hem of the dress robes were hefted above his thighs and the cold air was free to prickle at the already sensitive skin. It was another few brisk motions that had the robes pulled up over his head and dropped carelessly to the floor leaving Regulus completely exposed in nothing but his boxers.

Arcturus had experienced many things in his full and colorful life, and it was this overabundance of experience that made him certain of his ability to read people and situations with near perfect accuracy. He could see the trembles and heard the soft moans of pleasure from Regulus and he felt himself relaxing into what they were doing. Regulus wanted this and accepted it. True, the young man was still acting shy due to his own inexperience, but with more frequent encounters he was certain that the boy's confidence would grow and he would be able to participate more overtly. The teenager's whimper of pleasure as he trailed kisses down the still knobby spine did wonders at stoking the flames of his arousal and Arcturus was feeling hopeful that maybe this first night would pass more easily than he had anticipated.

Skimming his fingers over the elastic band of Regulus' pants, Arcturus pressed a kiss to the young man's ear and opened his mouth to ask about moving forward before the question caught in his throat. His eyes widened in shock as he noticed how ashen Regulus' face had gotten and that his hands were clenched into tight nervous fists. The teen hadn't been making those noises in pleasure at all! Arcturus felt nauseated and immediately pulled the younger man into a tight and protective hug.

"Take deep breaths, little king," he ordered softly, hoping that the stability of his firm grip was grounding and not stifling. "We're going to take a break, okay? What's your tea preference?"

Regulus made a choked sound and shrugged as he shook his head.

Trying to keep a tight grip on his self-control, Arcturus guided Regulus to sit on the edge of the bed and pulled a blanket around the thin but broadening shoulders. There was no way that he could consummate anything with his husband on the verge of getting violently ill from fear or anxiety. With brisk and efficient movements he left the room to fetch some tea for the boy.


	5. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains explicit smut

Arcturus felt his temper flaring as he walked to the study where Orion and Walburga were supposed to be preparing for their role in helping Regulus combat the rebound effects of the Dark Mark. One house elf was ordered to wait on Regulus in the room in case he needed anything and another was ordered to prepare a steaming mug of lavender and chamomile tea before the Head of the family finally made it to the study.

Startled dark eyes looked towards him and Arcturus had to exert effort to keep from snarling at the both of them. Walburga had jumped to her feet and was nervously looking towards the door of the room as if she was contemplating rushing out of the room to check on her boy. It was the single most maternal thing he had ever witnessed from the cold woman and it soothed a bit at his fury. Pollux had not been a good father and her own sickly and depressed mother had passed away while she was in her Third Year of Hogwarts. Arcturus could hardly put the entire blame of poor parenting on her shoulders; his damned son had a part in this mess too.

"Your son is currently sitting in his room trying not to have a complete break down," he started in a conversational tone as he took a seat and crossed an ankle over his knee. "We haven't consummated anything yet," he added and saw a relieved sagging of shoulders in both parents.

If they had already copulated it was certain that the young man would be in a good deal of pain and his parents would have a reason to be concerned. Worrying over the marriage bed was a strange time to begin being concerned with the care of your child, though.

"Would...a calming draught hinder binding magic?" Walburga asked tentatively. He could see that she had already whipped together some of the silvery potion.

"The draughts are more powerful now than they used to be. It would be unwise to try or we might run into problems with the binding. He can take as much as he needs to after the consummation if it won't interfere with anything else we need to do."

"Yes, Lord Black," she responded miserably. Again, he was surprised by such a show of concern for the boy.

"I am confused," he admitted with a chastising tone that made Orion pale a little. His son had been on the receiving end of many lectures that started with those very words. "You both are acting like you actually give a damn for your son but every frightened gesture he makes and tear he sobs is proof of something having gone very wrong with the parental responsibilities. Add to that the unseemly removal of my previous Heir _without_ my permission and I am left wondering how you have any ounce of capacity for paternal affection."

"Lucretia removed herself from this family, but that doesn't reflect poorly on your parenting," Orion shot back stiffly.

"She may have withdrawn herself, but she married into a Pureblood family and has kept herself respectable in society without besmirching our family name. And as far as I have learned, her family has been smart enough to keep out of this Dark Lord's attempts to overthrow the Ministry. Regulus is a disposable foot soldier for this madman, has the emotional stability of a mudblood, and I can't even begin to understand how you allowed an Heir to be removed from the tapestry."

The house elf popped into the room with the cup of perfectly steeped tea and Arcturus rose to his feet wearily. He saw Walburga stare forlornly at the door and again wondered what exactly had been happening in his family over the past ten years. He could remember the spunky and mischeivous Sirius and the happy and carefree Regulus, but now...

He turned on his heels and briskly made his way back to the bedroom. Skum looked up at its master when he opened the door and it dropped the edge of it's pillowcase clothing which was wrinkled with the nervous clenching the house elf had been doing. Regulus had curled up on the center of the bed and was crying softly. While the boy had always been prone to emotional outbursts, he had never seemed so unstable. There was a heaviness around him poisoning even his magic and it made the Head of the Family shudder with familiarity. He was _not_ going to let this Regulus die too. With a hand gesture to the wrinkly creature, the house elf disappeared and he took a seat next to the sobbing boy.

"Little king, have some of this tea. It will help to soothe your nerves."

The boy curled more tightly on himself for a few moments before he forced himself to sit up and accept the mug. "Thank you," he croaked before swallowing down some of the still hot drink.

Arcturus carefully settled a hand on the teen's bare knee. "Is there anything that I can do to help you get through this?" he asked with far less warmth than he had hoped for. Melania had always laughed at his attempts to sound less aloof as it was a habit ingrained so deeply into him. "I would offer to let you get some rest to settle your mind but we really need to move forward."

"I understand, Lord Black," he sniffled before he downed the rest of the tea, probably burning his mouth and throat.

He sighed heavily again, thinking that Regulus most definitely did not understand. "You have to make a decision, little king, and you're the only one who can do it. You can trust me to get you through this as safely and pleasurably as possible or you can choose not to. Regardless, I must do my duty to you and this family."

For as much practice he had dealing with people in the first half of his life, Arcturus could see that he was woefully out of practice, especially with such a young person.

Regulus knew that he had been testing his grandfather's patience, but he hadn't been able to help it. He was just so overwhelmed and scared. If this didn't work he was probably going to die. If this did work it would still put a large target on his family and there was a good chance he would die anyway.

"I trust you," he reiterated knowing that he had no reason not to. Arcturus had only acted in a way to encourage that trust. Still, Regulus was a boy of heartbreak, and trust was not something he thought that he could ever do again. "My mind just won't stop racing."

Arcturus nodded. "Let's walk through what's going to happen and maybe it will keep your brain from trying to imagine all different kinds of scenarios."

"Okay," Regulus agreed hopefully.

"I intend to get you off first," Arcturus stated easily making Regulus blush fiercely. "It will help to flood your body and brain with a calming energy and will help you to relax more deeply than you consciously can. Have you received oral sex or anything else?"

"Er, I've only kissed."

Chewing at his inner cheek, the elder Black decided that their best bet was to keep things as simple as possible. "I'll get behind you again to keep you from having to worry about being embarrassed to look at me or any such nonsense and I'll keep my pants on until you are completely prepared to take me. I'll give you a handjob to get you to completion and then I will prep you with my fingers and a couple of spells that will help to make things as painless as possible. After that we'll copulate and then we will see what kind of spells that Dark Lord has layered into his Mark."

Taking several deep breaths, Regulus set the cup aside and scooted forward towards his husband. The blanket fell from his shoulders and he tried not to curl in on himself too much at being so exposed again. Arcturus leaned forward and firmly pressed a chaste kiss to his lips before peppering a few kisses along his smooth jawline.

Even at the age of 17 Regulus hadn't had any facial hair appear yet. It would have annoyed him more but he recalled that Sirius had sported his own baby face all the way to graduation. It seemed that Orion's side of the family didn't easily grown facial hair like Walburga's side of the family. He remembered staring in awe the one year Uncle Alphard came to a family dinner with a beard that reached his chest.

Large hands guided him to turn his back towards the older man and Regulus used the minute it took for Arcturus to undress to focus on calming his heart. His brain was still running a mile a minute, but he could relax the rapid pumping of his heart. With the settling of weight on the mattress behind him he almost began to spiral out into terror again, but he felt the firm arms wrap around his torso again in that comforting hug.

"I trust you," he whispered again hoping that speaking the words would provide enough magic to make it a reality.

One hand settled over the back of his left hand. "Show me how you like to bring yourself to completion, little king," he murmured against the teen's neck.

It was impossible to pretend that he was in the safety of his own bed in the Slytherin dorms while that hot breath was blowing against his neck and shoulder so Regulus didn't even try. His shaking hand made its way under the band of his boxers with the larger hand still resting against it and he bit his lip trying to remember anything that had helped him get off.

Unfortunately, it had been well before Sirius finally ran away that he had last had a truly enjoyable wank. Obsessing over life circumstances that he couldn't change, studying for impeccable grades, Prefect duties, and being recruited into the Dark Lord's Army had left little time for something that seemed so childish.

It was one of the reasons he and Rabastan had talked about experimenting with each other - while Rabastan wasn't a Death Eater yet he was already involved in the lower levels of the army and both teens had been prone to being anxious. Barty had made fun of them never jerking off in the room like he and Marcius did and while they took solace in back-talking their roommate they also found common ground in expressing interest in both sexes and being experienced with neither of them.

Even though he had found Rabastan roguishly attractive, trying to picture his friend and roommate as he tentatively worked over himself was doing nothing to bring any interest to his manhood. A flush rose to the skin of his shoulders and chest as he tried not to think about how juvenile and impotent he probably appeared to his grandf-...his husband.

To Arcturus it seemed that all of Sirius' lack of thinking had apparently been overcompensated for in his brother's inability to _not_ think. Mentally accepting the challenge to wipe all thoughts out of the boy's mind for at least a few seconds, Arcturus used his free hand to trail up against the pale skin of his stomach and chest before tweaking sharply at one of the pale nipples. Regulus' whole body jerked in surprise and he made a sound that was a cross between a high-pitched whine and a choking gasp. A mischievous grin curled on Arcturus' face and he mouthed along the flushed skin of Regulus' shoulder with a few nips. He was rewarded with a surprised thrust of the hips and a twitch of interest from the member under their hands.

The elder Black was feeling like he was back on familiar ground. It had been a long time since he had been with someone so inexperienced, but he still knew how to find the pleasure points on a person. This boy didn't even seem to know what he liked even with something as common as jerking off! Leaving his left hand on top of Regulus' stuttering one, he continued to pinch and twist at the flesh of the teen's pale nipple with his right hand as he explored the expanse of both shoulders and the back of his husband’s neck with his lips and teeth as he searched for all the boy's sensitive spots.

Regulus couldn't believe the sounds that were forcing their way through his throat as his body was touched in ways that it had never been before. He was again caught between embarrassment and the nearly overwhelming arousal. Instinct dictated that this was not a familiar situation and that he needed to get out of it as quickly as possible. He was not in control and he had no backup plan or escape route. But there was a portion of him that was more than just Slytherin - he was a Black first and foremost. If he couldn't trust the Head of this Ancient and Most Noble House, then who could he trust?

Another surprised gasp spilled past his lips before he bit down on his lower one to stifle the following moan as there was suddenly a cool slickness spilling over the back of his hand and between his fingers to coat along his stiffened cock. He heard Arcturus chuckle over his shoulder as his hand automatically sped up.

"Never used any lubricant, little king?"

"Ngh, n-no I didn't know," he panted in response before once again biting down hard on his lip.

"You don't have to hide the sounds," Arcturus encouraged. "No one else is going to hear you and it will help you to relax. Can't you feel the way your magic is moving inside? Don't dam it up. Let it flow through you."

Thinking of his magic at a time like this had never occurred to Regulus before and he latched onto the concrete instruction immediately. Mapping out his internal flows of magic was not something that he had general practice with so it was a little difficult to find those threads when his blood was pounding so rapidly and his brain was so frazzled, but Regulus wasn't at the top of his class and an already marked Death Eater for no reason. When he finally caught a strand of his magic he was shocked to see how knotted up his magic was. The threads came at an uncomfortable stop of insecurity and fear at too many intervals. A spark of unfamiliar magic lit up on his periphery and he pulled away from it in haste.

Slick fingers dropped from gripping his hand to tease and trail over his scrotum before dipping to tease at the soft skin of his perineum. The pressure was curling in Regulus' gut as he held his breath and tried to stamp down the sounds begging to spill out past his lips, but Arcturus wasn't letting up his ministrations. He struggled to keep the sounds buried and tossed his head back as he took a shallow gasp of air and clenched his eyes shut in desperation. The solid body against his back urged his forward a bit so that he was no longer sitting on his heels but now resting his weight completely on his shaking knees. His magic was trembling through him, a writhing mass of confused energy. It was hot and cold and desperate to stretch out to fill him completely but he had never allowed it so much freedom.

Arcturus was impressed with how tightly Regulus clung to his self-control. Even as his whole body screamed for release and expression of the pleasure, the teen kept the lid shut firmly in denial. The boy was also refusing his attempts to entwine their magic in an intimate gesture that only those with the marriage bond could perform. He was tempted to shove Regulus face down and eat his arse out just to see his husband's control shatter, but exercised his own self-control and continued to work his left hand under the boxers and moved his right hand to the other nipple. Regulus was going to be screaming in pleasure, he swore to himself, before any dark magic had its chance to harm the Heir.

"You're probably going to want to steady yourself," he warned the younger man with a smile in his voice before he slipped his right hand past the tight waistband and took a firm grip of the stiff flesh and moved his left hand to his husband's backside for better access to the tight ring of muscles that he needed to prepare and relax.

An almost pained and guttural groan hissed through Regulus' teeth as he jerked in the shock of the sudden hand movements. He wasn't going to be able to keep everything inside for very long if those teasing swipes between his arse cheeks was any indication of what he was about to feel. Numbing hands reached back to ground himself against the still firm and relaxed body of Arcturus. One hand clutched desperately to the still mostly black hair and the other dug into a bare thigh with enough force to leave bruises.

"I c-can't," he gasped, tossing his head again. He barely registered the impact of the back of his head to Arcturus' shoulder. "I can't!"

Tears pricked at the corners of the teen's tightly squeezed eyes and Arcturus felt a wave of sadness. This repression was not the right kind of strength he would need to survive.

"Little king, you need to relax," he tried to encourage again. "Let me take care of you. You can do anything that you set your mind on."

A middle finger pressed firmly against the clenched muscles and the fingers tangled into his hair clenched tightly enough to hurt, but nothing other than desperate shallow gasps made it past the grinding teeth. Arcturus casted three spells in quick succession, a handy skill in situations such as this, and dipped a generously slicked finger past the muscles just as he increased the speed and pressure of his hand on the newly slicked cock. The cleansing spell would tingle a bit he knew, but it wasn't going to really add to any of the pleasure or ease the pain. Regulus was also still far too tense for him to move very much without causing pain, so he just focused on taking advantage of all the nerves around the rim.

Regulus could feel the haze burning at the edges of his consciousness as his legs trembled helplessly and his body struggled to decide whether he should be thrusting up into the unrelenting hand or press back against the new sensations driving him wild. Something was going to have to give way under the assault on his senses. Either he was going to shut down completely - senses, emotions, magic - or he was going to give in.

" _Arcturus_ ," he gasped as his eyes opened to stare unseeing at the ceiling. His fingers ached from clenching the other man so tightly. "Please, oh please!"

He couldn't have described to anyone what exactly his husband was doing to him with those hands as he became lost in the waves of pleasure. All Regulus knew were the nerves on fire, the foreign sounds tearing through his throat, and the new sound of panting hot breath against his ear.

The elder Black felt the lusty heat pooling in his gut as he listened to the chorus of arousal rock through the young man. It wasn't going to take long for Regulus to crest over the wave of pleasure and in the privacy of his mind he allowed himself to relish in the idea that soon he would be sinking into the tight heat of the body in front of him.

Thinking on the unfortunate events that brought him to this place right now would serve no purpose, so he pushed those thoughts aside in favor of drinking in the whines and moans and burying his face into the soft curls that coiled around the teen's ears. One finger was able to pump in and out carefully and he decided to press his luck and twist the digit forward and downwards to find the bundle of nerves.

The result was instantaneous.

Hot liquid spilled over his still pumping hand and Arcturus greedily drank in the boy's guttural moan of release as his thin body trembled helplessly. He continued to milk every ounce of release from the boy until he could see the boy's brows furrow from overstimulation. With a grin he waited until those grey eyes opened to blearily look around before he lifted his coated fingers and loudly slurped the fingers into his mouth one at a time. Regulus flushed a deeper crimson with a whimper before his hands finally released their grip on the elder Black and covered his embarrassed face.

"Want a taste of yourself, husband?" Arcturus asked with a chuckle. Regulus made a choked whine and shook his still covered face which only amused the older man even more. "Better than the finest wine," he complimented before taking his time to lap up the rest of the sticky fluid from his hand.

"I highly doubt that," Regulus murmured through his fingers.

"A matter of opinion, I suppose," Arcturus responded easily before he nuzzled against the boy's neck in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. "We're going to switch positions a bit to get you more comfortable."

Grey eyes sought out grey and for the first time that night the Head of the Family could see something akin to trust, tentative as it may be.

"Tell me what to do...husband."


	6. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains explicit smut.

Regulus took note of how oddly relaxed his body seemed considering its current predicament. Yet again he was surprised by just how different something like an orgasm could feel when it was brought about by an experienced hand. Everything brought forth by Arcturus was foreign and yet overly pleasurable. Kissing was moved from the realm of embarrassing and sloppy into knee-buckling pleasure and the process of achieving orgasm went from a calculated effort into an earth-shattering experience reminiscent of those silly mudblood religious experiences he'd heard about through the grapevine. Another twist of a well-placed finger had his whole body trembling again and he swayed a little from the effort to keep upright.

"Place those pillows under your hips as you lay face-down on the mattress," Arcturus instructed as he retracted his teasing hand and easily worked the teen's pants down to his knees.

Regulus was sure that his face had to be purple from embarrassment by now as he glanced down at his blushed and flaccid cock still glistening with leftover lubrication and spunk. It was of little comfort that the position he was asked to take at least kept that part of his body away from the other man's eyes. But did that really matter at this point? Artcurus had _licked_ the cum off his fingers. Regulus moved forward and buried his heated face into the cool mattress where he allowed himself a moment to whimper in embarrassment. He couldn't hear his husband's laugh at his expense over the rush of blood in his own ears but he could feel the boxers being completely pulled off his lanky legs. Strong calloused fingers trailed up the back of his legs and over his buttocks before pausing to rub gently along his lower back.

A pillow was pressed against his elbow, reminding the young man of the previous instructions. "Oh, sorry," he murmured before lifting his hips to settle two pillows under his hips.

Kisses were pressed against his spine as the fingers continued to work at the tense muscles of his lower back. "How are you feeling, little king?"

"Tired," he replied softly. It had seemed like he had lived with the stress of a century in the few short days since he left Hogwarts.

"You'll be able to rest soon," Arcturus comforted. "Just stay relaxed and focus on allowing your magic to unfurl."

Regulus wondered if the older man could actually feel the knotted mess of his magic or if he was going by intuition.

"I heard that it always hurts the first time," he stated flatly as he shifted his hips to get more comfortable. While he was worried about the pain, Regulus was somewhat comforted by the fact that so far Arcturus had kept his word and it seemed highly unlikely that he was just going to rip into a virgin ass carelessly.

"It doesn't have to," Arturus responded as he focused his massaging efforts on the muscles around the center of the lower back to encourage even more relaxation where needed. "There will be strong sensations, but not necessarily painful." He reached out and summoned a vial of a special lubrication that he had acquired specifically for this evening. It was specially formulated to help numb the virgin passage enough to take the edge off any potential pain without reducing the pleasurable sensations. "I'm going to work you open some more."

"Mmmph," Regulus breathed out before biting down on his already sore lip.

The first finger pressed into him carefully but more easily than it had earlier and he had to struggle not to squirm under the odd sensation. Regulus had never even attempted to breach himself during his self-pleasure and wondered at the new feeling. The muscles were not relaxing as much as he assumed would be necessary in order to accommodate something much larger than a single finger. Irrationally he wondered if it was even possible to put anything larger back there. What if he was a special case and _couldn't_ fit Arcturus? Would the bond break? Was all this worth nothing?

" _Relax_ ," Arcturus reminded him again in exasperation.

"Sorry."

Arcturus really didn't want this to hurt the boy but he knew that he could only do so much without crossing over the boundary of using mind altering substances that would negate the magical bonding.

"What's on your mind?"

Knowing that as humiliating as his ignorance was, gaining knowledge would only happen if he was honest and asking questions. "Um, is it...are there some guys who _can't_ take it up the arse?"

Arcturus smiled softly at the curiosity lacing the worried words. This boy was definitely an intellectual and probably would have fit in well with Ravenclaws if he wasn't a Black.

"There are some people who do not enjoy it much or have difficulty receiving, but from what I can tell you will be just fine."

"Just relax?"

"Exactly."

Regulus took a few more calming breaths and tried to focus on the sensation of his magic slowly twisting and unwinding rather than the sensation of another finger teasing along the stretching rim. He was far more relaxed than he had been in the past couple of years and the young man briefly wondered why he hadn't tried using self-pleasure as a way to burn off some steam. His brain quickly supplied that he hadn't exactly found working himself up very enjoyable in the past and didn't often think of masturbation as anything more than keeping himself from getting blue-balled.

The teenage years were pretty awful. Although now that he was married...Regulus tensed up and shook his head at the thought. This marriage wasn't about him being able to explore his sexuality or having someone on hand to fuck him into the mattress when he wanted it. The increased burning on the inside of his forearm was a reminder of what this was really about.

Another spell was murmured under Arcturus' breath as he poured more of the slick liquid over his fingers and he felt Regulus jerk in surprise. He smiled a bit and slid two fingers down to the knuckles before scissoring the fingers in the hot passage and moving the third finger into position for additional stretching. This delicious morsel was going to take his entire arsenal of prepping spells and skills.

If there weren't such pressing issues to deal with, Arcturus was sure that he would have definitely take his time driving the young man mad with desire. He allowed himself the sentimental notion that this wouldn't be the only time they engaged in such intimacies, that Regulus would come willingly into his bed night after night and they could bask in the carnal pleasures with hedonistic debauchery. Pollux would probably give him grief about it for the rest of his life, but Arcturus didn't care.

No one could watch this boy unravel and remain impassive.

A sharp pang of jealousy shot through his abdomen at the mere thought of this Voldemort wizard placing his mark on the son of a Black. Did that wretch grin lecherously as the boy shuddered in pain? Did he gloat about his filthy blood subjecting the most noble wizarding family? At having royalty licking at his boots? It was infuriating and Arcturus knew that he wouldn't stand for it. His family were subject to _him_ and no one else, dark lord or otherwise. Did that half-blood mutt lust after this young flesh and design opportunities to settle his slimy hands on the soft flesh?

Almost completely besides himself, Arcturus leaned forward and aggressively mouthed and sucked along those milk white shoulders, eager to leave his own marks on Regulus. The teen shifted a little under the weight of the body over him but didn't complain; he seemed to be too distracted by the thrusting and twisting fingers. It didn't take long for the young man to start breathing heavily through his clenched teeth and the sounds of quiet moans to fill the room again.

Arcturus turned his attention to massaging the prostate which quickly had Regulus writhing and cursing under his breath as he tried to keep himself under control. It was going to be a while before he learned to properly let loose and the elder Black could only imagine the way this young body would react once it was finally free to feel and accept the pleasure.

"You will feel a strong sensation, but you've been prepared enough that it should not be pain," he informed his husband before leaving another mauve love bite. "Do not be afraid, little king."

Regulus' hands clenched the bed sheets tightly and he nodded, still desperately trying to focus on the feeling of his magic over the sensations taking over his body. Arcturus cleaned his hands with a twist of wandless magic before applying some regular lubrication over his desperately hard cock. He sighed in relief at the strokes over himself before he pushed his pants down just far enough to free the throbbing member. His right hand settled on his husband's lower back while the left hand helped to guide to cock to slide between the plump arse cheeks. It was yet another exercise in patience as he gave his cock a few teasing thrusts between the cheeks and teased at the prepared entrance.

"Ooooh," Regulus moaned lowly, his back arching and his thin thighs squeezing the man perched between them.

"You are exquisite, Regulus," he whispered heavily before pressing against the virgin ring of muscle with the head of his cock. There was the resistance and a few seconds of held breath before the sudden give and intoxicating heat.

"Ngh! A-arcturus!" Regulus moaned again, desperately fighting the urge to wriggle away from the unfamiliar fullness. "I...oh, I can't..."

"Shhh, little king, it's okay," he soothed before adding some more pressure to the teen's lower back with one hand and keeping his cock steady with the other. "It's a feeling of fullness, okay? You can handle this."

Regulus took a few deep breaths and shifted a bit before nodding his head in permission. Arcturus eased out a bit before pressing in again slowly. He grit his own teeth and rocked in back and forth with measured control to allow the slow adjustment. He added a little more lubrication to his slick cock when he pulled out before finally sliding in balls deep with his own deep growl of pleasure. Regulus was choking back a cry and thrashed his head back and forth a few times before dropping it helplessly to the cool bed sheets. Arcturus reached out once more with his magic only to have it rebuffed again. He stifled his annoyance at the boy's refusal and focused on the pleasurable clench around him.

Another few breaths and then he gave another tentative pull and thrust. "How's that feeling?" he grunted questioningly. The pressure in his sack was beginning to ache in an unpleasant way from all of his withholding.

"I don't know," Regulus whimpered.

"Husband, I need to move," he growled before nipping at the already bruised shoulders.

"O-okay, go ahead."

With those words, Arcturus allowed himself the pleasure that he had been keeping back from. He had enough sense of mind to respect the tenderness of virginity but there was enough pleasure to be had without hurting the body underneath his. "Tell me if anything gets to be too much," he murmured as he increased his pace.

The boy nodded, but nothing passed between them except for the lurid sounds of sex. Whimpers, moans, and skin slapping - the creak of the bed, bed sheets rustling, and the slight echo the stone walls evoked - blood rushing through the ears, heavy breathing, and fingernails digging into sweaty skin. There was the new tingle of magic as Arcturus could feel completion nearing and he relished in the warmth.

He had taken different vows with Melania so he could appreciate the differences as the bond sunk deeper than skin and bones and sinew. He pressed down heavily over Regulus' back and worried the skin with his teeth again before soothing it with the flat of his tongue and enjoying the salty tang. Moving his hand from the boy's lower back, Arcturus slipped it between the boy's hips and the pillows, grateful to feel the stiffened flesh. Youth had its advantages, although he was pleased to have found that wizards had a far better fare than the mudbloods when it came to aging well.

Regulus found that thinking was becoming impossible as his breathing grew more erratic and his nerves were assaulted with a number of pleasurable ripples. It was quickly obvious that Arcturus really did know what he was doing and it was a blessing that Regulus was trying to accept. A shift of his husband's thrusting combined with the change in angle as he leaned up to allow more space for the man's hands to work over his once again hard cock and Regulus was seeing stars.

The sensation was overwhelming and he could feel a building wave of _something_. It was what he imagined it would feel like to stand at the shore of an empty beach, waiting for the racing crest of a tsunami to come crashing over you and sweeping you away with a monstrous force that could not be stopped nor truly understood until you were in the depths of its swirling embrace.

A candle exploded messily on the side table next to the bed and Regulus could feel the tendrils of his magic twitching erratically. The last time he had suffered from accidental magic was before he had even gotten into Hogwarts! Now he could only watch helplessly as his magic unfurled and stretched around him, pressing against the new bonds that were being imprinted into it. He could feel the burn of the brand in his arm, searing hotter and hotter as the crimson threads of the blood and life bond twined around him.

Even as new pain throbbed through his arm, Regulus felt himself moan in ecstasy. He was being freed in more than one way and it was a pleasure that was more satisfying than all the cardinal sins that the mudbloods seemed to care so much about. Freedom from one dark lord by being bound to another, but this one was family. All that was love and good in this word came from his family, and Arcturus was the hazy precipice of it all. This god-man was the one he had been taught to worship, the one he had found so easy to adore, and he was taking Regulus to a place that no one else could have. It was a gift and for a selfish moment he allowed himself to absorb and embrace all of it.

The noises that spilled from his bleeding lips were foreign and would have been humiliating if he had any space in his brain saved over for thinking. All his brain could comprehend was the hand jerking him off steadily and the snapping hips that were promising to sear this experience into his brain for eternity. How could any sexual encounter ever compare? How could he ever be able to feel pleasure from someone other than this man?

And pain, such horrible pain bleeding from his arm and sweeping into his chest. There were no words he could speak as the pressure became every bit as crushing as it was burning. Noises of pleasure were coming from Arcturus too and Regulus could feel the pacing of those hips starting to lose their consistency before he was tensing in a full bodied experience. Mouth was left gaping open with both eyes screwed shut as he pressed back only to receive receive receive...

Heat bloomed inside of his body and the addled brain could only provide -helovesme- an abstract feeling of completion. The ribbon of magic sunk fully into his soul and for a moment Regulus was out walking amongst the stars, feeling their white hot heat tickle across his skin, before the cold emptiness of black space swallowed it down. Horrifying pain exploded through his arm and ecstasy melted into reality and his reality was nothing but burning agony. The poison of a snake was running through his burning veins.

Arcturus felt the sweet pleasure of release and relished the heat surrounding his body and the union that sunk into the both of them. It was a feeling even more pleasurable than any experienced concubine he had taken and something that he had never experienced even with Melania. He had been such a foolish young man and now he felt like he was experiencing the joys of the marital bed for the first time. More than sexual pleasure he felt the blood bond, and more than that a soul bound. This was the deepest magic that could be conjured by mankind and it was more fulfilling than anything else he had experienced in his short 80 years of life.

And then the boy was screaming.

His lust addled mind was snapped back into the present moment and he pulled out of the convulsing body with less finesse than he would have liked before pulling up his pants to cover himself. A quick examination had him reeling back in fury and horror as he could see the Dark Mark bleeding dark tendrils of magic into the surrounding veins, that blackness spreading through Regulus’ arm and up. A few spells of protection and curse repellents were cast before he used magic's assistance in getting the boxers back on the boy's body.

With that accomplished, Arcturus summoned the house elves and had one get Orion and Walburga while the others were charged with bringing in the potion supplies and curse breaking tomes. The cleaning charms were cast immediately after the creatures were off to fulfill his commands and he was soon dressed in his formal robes before getting back to work trying to deconstruct the magic that was wracking through Regulus' body.

The young Black heir was sobbing uncontrollably and thrashing on the bed as the dark spell seeped through his body and it took Arcturus a great deal of control to remain calm in the presence of the horrible scene. It was with a great deal of self-control that both Orion and Walburga kept from making a scene either as they entered in the bedroom and began their work. Orion quickly confirmed the marriage bond and then Walburga got to work stupefying her son with all the potions that she could to numb him from the work that all three of them would be doing.

\---+--- ---+--- ---+---

Regulus stared blankly at the golden constellations swirling above him for a few minutes before he could get his brain to function enough to identify where he was. There was too much natural daylight to be trapped in a dungeon for torture by either the Death Eaters or by whatever Dumbledore's little renegade group was calling themselves. Shifting a bit under the sheets he gasped lightly at the soreness of his arse and clarity fell like a bludger to the head. Looking down at his arm, he was shocked to see it completely wrapped from fingertips to shoulder, with the skin of his collarbone showing thin streaks of inky blackness peeking out.

"You're awake," a relieved voice stated from the door.

Sitting up with a wince he gave a weak smile to his grand-...his husband. The magic was bound to them now.

"My apologies, Lord Black. How long was I asleep?"

Arcturus crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame. "Your mother has had you under with her potions for less than a day, but we needed to get your feedback. The dark magic affecting that Mark is rather complicated."

"How so?"

"As best as we can figure so far, there needs to be a medicinal component to counteract the poison that's being fed into your system from the Mark but it's more complicated than that. And the cursed magic is still trying to spread. We've only been able to put it on hold temporarily."

Rubbing at his forehead wearily, Regulus figured that the exhaustion was probably due to the constant pull of his magic to keep this curse at bay.

"We should get a hold of Severus Snape. He was a house mate a year ahead of me, but he was very talented in the Dark Arts and had a special hand for Potions. He may be a half-blood, but he is better at those disciplines than any adult I could think of outside of the Dark Lord's Death Eater ranks. In fact, he was initiated as a Death Eater recently."

Arcturus frowned. "What makes you think that we can trust him?"

"We're friends," he stated firmly thinking of quiet evenings spent researching side-by-side or the look of utter shock Severus had given him when he loaned the older boy one of the family recipe books for poisons and antidotes for a bit of summer reading.

Being in the Slug Club together had given them plenty of opportunity to have highly academic discussions that most of the student body wouldn't be interested in carrying out. When he officially broke off with the Evans girl and devoted even more time to his studies, Regulus found it even easier to try to learn everything he could from the genius. It had been the first time he wondered if maybe being a Pureblood wasn't all that it was held out to be.

"How..." The older man cough in discomfort before continuing. "How should one go about looking for this...half-blood is it?"

Regulus rolled his eyes.

"Have Bella fetch him. But you might want to tell her that it's important he comes here in one piece. She's kind of a bitch to everyone." Looking down at his arm and grimacing as he tried to flex it, the Heir sighed heavily. "Lord Black, I would trust Severus Snape with my life and considering the dark magic you are trying to break it might actually come down to that."

Maybe it was a bit of an exaggeration, but nothing short of that would convince his Pureblood husband to allow in not only a stranger but a half-blood into this household, especially at a precarious time like this. He would refrain from mentioning the first few years of bullying he endured from Snape as recompense for his idiot brother's abuse or the fact that said brother and Snape had a hatefully long enmity.

"Very well. He shall be here shortly."

"What should I do while I wait?"

"You should get as much rest as you can, little king."

The elegant man stood to his full height and strode up to the side of the boy's bed. A hand carefully reached out to rest on his husband's shoulder and when Regulus didn't flinch or pull away he leaned forward to press a kiss to those warm lips. Pain was starting to throb again up his arm and Regulus found himself comforted by the kiss. It was barely more than a chaste one, but the slide of their lips made the young man's stomach twist. When Arcturus pulled away, Regulus turned his eyes back down to his white-knuckled hands.

"Thank you for your kindness, Lord Black," he muttered.

He was certain that his experience of an arranged marriage's wedding night was not what would be considered the norm. He had read plenty of the old family journals including a few of the more rarely kept diaries of young Black women. Polite language kept the details from being explicitly shared but there were some unfortunate relationships that had been recorded.

Still managing to look regal and completely put together, Arcturus nodded. "You are my family, little king, and I will protect you." Those grey eyes looked over the bandaged arm and they darkened. "I will not be letting anyone bring harm to you, Dark Lord or otherwise."

The fact that he had agreed to fetch a half-blood spoke volumes to Regulus. This man was definitely of the old-school stock of blood supremacists that would barely tolerate even other Purebloods if their family history wasn't impressive enough. What little Regulus could remember of the man before he went on his walkabout indicated the grave and severe personality that seemed to be common among the other men in that age group and there was nothing in his fuzzy memory that indicated there was a warm or particularly loving relationship between Arcturus and Melania. As much as Orion did love Walburga, even he seemed cold and distant to most others.

This open affection from the man was disconcerting and an entirely welcomed relief.

Regulus had once trusted Sirius to always be there to protect him and keep him from any harm. That time had passed, but for the first time in years he felt that there was finally the chance to be kept safe again.

"Toujours Pur," the young Heir stated firmly. "With you here again Lord Black, we will make it through. We will remain pure."

A glimmer of pride sparkled in those eyes for a moment before it was tucked back away behind the mask of cool indifference. "Tourjours Pur, little king."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Arcturus is Greek for "Guardian of the Bear" and Regulus means "Little King".
> 
> Prompt 75  
> CN/TW: Incest, Age Difference  
> Pairing: Arcturus/Regulus  
> Prompt: Fix-It  
> By: Anonymous


End file.
